起信論疏筆削記 5.22

5.22

Second, concluding with the fundamental. That is, pointing to the aforementioned One Mind as the fundamental of the Dharma realized by the Tathāgata. This is truly because the Tathāgata is accomplished relying on this One Mind; therefore faith, understanding, practice, and realization all rely on this mind, and from subtle to gross they have never departed from it. If one could attain buddhahood apart from the mind, there is no such possibility. Hence the Avataṃsaka states: "If one wishes to fully know all buddhas of the three times, one should contemplate the nature of the dharmadhātu: everything is made by mind alone." "Hence it is named" and so forth: yet the Tathāgata is the One Mind, and the One Mind is the fundamental; only when the three meanings are of one essence is it the utmost teaching. It is only that based on Dharma it is named "mind"; in contrast to the branches it is called "fundamental"; and spoken in terms of the person, it is called "Tathāgata." When investigating their essence, they are one; listing the meanings makes three: not three yet three, not one yet one, three and one being of one essence; this accords with the profound text. From "Fully explaining" down, the second part explains right understanding without error. "Fully explaining": this means within it clarifying the two aspects of tathatā and arising-and-ceasing, actualized and original enlightenment, fundamental and branch non-enlightenment, the two bodies and three greatnesses, down to the non-duality of the two aspects; these meanings are entirely the operation marks upon the fundamental of the One Mind. "The three [ranks of] worthies": because they are adjacent to the real, they are distinguished in front from ordinary beings and in back from the noble ones. "Worthy" means good and compliant. These thirty [ranks of] persons are all accomplished through accumulating good and complying with the real principle, so they receive this title. "Inferential contemplation" and so forth: since they have not personally realized tathatā, but are only able to inferentially contemplate according to the teaching, thereby according with it without contradiction, it is said to "correspond." This inferential contemplation itself is called right understanding; because the stages before the bhūmis belong to the rank of understanding and practice, and for the sake of generating right understanding, there is the text of revealing the correct meaning. "Free from inversions": because right understanding corresponds and complies with the principle of tathatā, it is devoid of all perversions. Because it is free from inversions, it is called "without error." "Without" means remedying; "error" means evil attachments.